lost and confused
by ur best nightmare322
Summary: the cullens take in a runaway teen and while they are housing her they find they are not the only ones with dark secrets...
1. Chapter 1

So basically, this is a Mary Sue story, but I'm not putting myself into the story so I can date Edward, but because I thought it would be cool to write a story that I can put myself into just to interact with the characters

So basically, this is a Mary Sue story, but I'm not putting myself into the story so I can date Edward, but because I thought it would be cool to write a story that I can put myself into just to interact with the characters. So this is my first try at writing ANTHING so don't be all 'this girl is so weird' please. Here goes:

**Chapter 1**

(Bella POV)

I was just leaving the Cullen household after a day of just hanging out and being as normal as a house full of vampires could be(even with Emmet around). Edward was walking me out **(**AN: **as if he ever does anything else) **and lead the way to his car. Thinking a stroll through the woods would be nice, I asked,

"Wanna' to go for a walk?"

He answered by steering us toward the trees.

Once we were under the cover of the branches, the sun decided to come through the cloud cover.

"That's different," I commented, thinking that I would have to wait for Edward to take me home because of it.

"Alice said it would be sunny any day now. Guess we got lucky," Edward continued leading us across less traitorous (for me) ground, as he spoke. The sun filtering through the leaves made the sparkling effect on his skin appear more incredible.

Then, the noises came.

First, it was leaves of bushes being pushed away from a swiftly moving object. Then, very noisy, labored breathing that kept getting closer.

Edward pulled me close to him as he turned to stone against a tree trunk. He stood still, listening, I suppose, to the persons thoughts. After few seconds, he bent his head toward mine and whispered,

"It's a young girl. It would be better if you confronted her instead of me."

I nodded and began to move slowly toward the spot where the breathing was coming from.

A girl of about 14 burst from between two bushes and stopped when she saw me. She was wearing a look of complete horror and confusion on her face, which was pale but for the red spots on her cheeks showing she had been running for some time. Her clothes, ―a thick denim jacket, jeans, and new balance tennis shoes― were worn and faded from prolonged use. She had medium length reddish-brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail. She seemed to be worn out as she looked me in the eye for a second.

"I need help," were the only words uttered from her mouth before she passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

(Edward POV)

We all sat in the living room as we talked about what had just happened.

"… then she said she needed help and passed out," Bella finished recounting the occurrence to Carlisle.

"Well, I think all she needs for now is rest and food. When she wakes up we can find out more about her," he replied.

Everybody had been shocked when we carried in this unconscious girl from the woods. Carlisle did all the mandatory vitals check and set her down in his office on the couch so we would be able to hear if she woke up. Bella seemed to be the most worried about the mysterious girl. Esme came in a close second.

"_Poor dear, she can't be more than fifteen years old. Looks like she hasn't been home weeks. What is she doing wandering around in the woods?"_ Esme's thoughts and motherly side was going into overdrive.

Bella looked at me while asking, for the umpteenth time, "Can't you read her thoughts to come up with anything?"

"No, she's unconscious, so her thoughts aren't very easy read. It's all very fuzzy." Emmet laughed at the slightly frustrated look on my face.

"Can't we look through her pack for an ID, I mean that could give us some information," Bella suggested.

Carlisle pulled the bag toward him and started opening the pockets and taking out bundles of clothes, a half filled water bottle, some notebooks and sketchbooks, a pencil bag with about twenty sketching and drawing utensils, and a red and black box from the bottom. It was about the size of a coffee mug and had a complicated lock system that even a vampire wouldn't be able to figure out. Holding up the box, Carlisle stated,

"I think our guest has something either very valuable or very close to her in here."

Jasper grabbed the one of the notebooks and started to flip through it. His thoughts became very befuddled at what he was seeing.

"It has some paragraphs written in it, but does anyone have any idea what these mean?"

He turned the notebook so the room could see. There were some drawings in it tat looked like ancient runes or something of the sort. There were writings under groups of them that looked like Greek or Latin.

"That is… new. Does anyone know how to translate this? I don't even know where to start looking to figure out what this means," Alice, usually one of the most upbeat vampires I know, looked very confused as she asked this.

Even Emmet was being serious about this. His next question left us all wondering the same thing. "Okay, so how does a fourteen year old girl know a dead language when even the undead can't figure it out?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

(girl's POV)

_Running. I have to keep running. The trees keep getting thicker and thicker as I run. I think this time I'm further north. I stop to catch my breath. Then the twigs start to snap under the weight of a boot clad foot._

"_I know you're here somewhere," his soft and satin smooth voice laced with venom says the words over and over in my head. He continues, "you know even though you keep trying to get away from me, I will always find you. That's what I love most about you. Your strength. But you stubbornness keeps getting in the way… we'll have to fix that."_

_The knife flashed through the bushes toward me before I could scream._

The dream stopped so abruptly that I was still holding up my hands in a futile attempt to stop the knife. Instead I heard a different voice.

"…how does a fourteen year old girl know a dead language when even the undead can't figure it out?"

That was when I woke up screaming and gasping for breath. Sooner than I had time to react, there were eight people in the room with me. My breath caught in my throat as one of them, a tall blond man, came toward me very slowly.

"I'm a doctor. I'm going to take your vitals. Alright?"

All I could do was nod my head. As he took my wrist, I was shocked by how cold his hand felt. I now took in my surroundings whilst keeping my guard up the entire time. I was on a sofa in what looked like an office. It had book shelves, a desk, and chairs. I didn't look at the room long before my eyes strayed back to the people around me.

The man taking my pulse― the doctor― looked about to be in his mid-twenties, blondish, and if he stood up he might be about six feet tall. There were three young men behind him and four women. The first man was also blond and fairly tall and muscled. His facial features were soft and when I looked him in the eye, I felt as if calm had melted into my veins. Beside him was a very short girl with short, spiky black hair. Her face reminded me of a painting of a faerie I had seen once. Another of the men was looking at me like I was something new and different and regarded me with interest. He had dark curls and was possibly the biggest guy, not on steroids that I had ever seen. Standing beside him was definitely the most beautiful young woman I had ever seen. She was tall, with long, wavy blond hair and a face and body any super model would die for, and was looking at me with mild interest.

Slightly behind them was the only woman who looked old enough to be called a woman. Her caramel hair and kind features made her look like a natural mother figure. The way she was looking at me made me feel I would always be cared for because she wanted to care for me.

The last two― a girl and a boy― were standing very close to one another. He had bronzy colored hair and look about six foot. He was scrutinizing me with pity and confusion. I felt strange trying to hold his gaze, so I looked at her. She was plain, had brown hair and eyes, and looked about 18. the look in her eyes was one of understanding and anxiety. All of them were very pale, and all but the last girl shared two very distinct features: extreme beauty, movie star perfection, and captivating gold eyes of differing shades.

During my observations, the doctor was telling me to do various things: breath in, breath out, look this way, look that way. When he was done, I asked the question burning in my throat.

"Where am I and who are you?" I managed to croak out.

"You are in Forks, Washington, in our home. My name is Carlisle Cullen. This is my wife Esme, ad our family."

The group introduced themselves, saying their names.

"Jasper," the blond boy.

"Alice," the faerie.

"Emmett," the huge guy.

"Rosalie," the super model.

"Edward," the confused one.

And "Bella," the plain, understanding girl.

I watched each of them as they said their own names, scrutinizing their actions. It seemed as though they were trying not to frighten me. I decided they could be trusted.

"My name's Jill, but you can call me Beth."

"Well, in that case it's nice to meet you Beth," Esme held out a hand to me. I took it and then looked around the floor looking for it. I admit, I kinda' freaked when I didn't see it.

"Holy shit, where's my pack?!"


	4. Chapter 4

I own nothing grumbles

I own nothing grumbles. Stephenie Meyer won't answer my calls any more so there's no chance of it. sniffle So those of you out there who are lawsuit happy, beware! growls I like these star thingies ;D

_**BTW: you will see what is in the box in the next chapter. Thnx for reading. Updates are coming, I promise!**_

Chapter 3

(Alice POV)

"_Holy shit, where's my pack?!"_

That screech was loud enough to hurt a vampire's ears. Ouch! When she realized that her back-pack wasn't there, she kinda' freaked out. Carlisle was the first to try and console her.

"Your back-pack is downstairs and just as you had it." More or less, "Now you need to sit back down."

She kept trying to get up and walk to the door, but Esme was doing a good job of calming her down with Jasper's help.

Stroking her hair and arm, Esme asked, "What is so important about you pack that you need it right now?"

"I need to get my bag and get out of here," she said while pushing through Esme's arms and our bodies at a sprint. We had to move at a human pace to follow her down the stairs, which was slightly frustrating. Bella ran with surprising grace as she followed Beth into the front room where she grabbed the overlooked bag.

We waited for her to notice Bella was holding her pack, which we had packed back up, just the way it was, as she flitted through the unused kitchen and dinning room.

When she came back I held up her much abused jacket and asked,

"Why do you need to go in such a hurry?"

She just stared at me like I had asked a very obvious question.

"He'll find me if I don't leave. He always does."

The fear in her voice rang through the silence. Her eyes darted around the room, no doubt looking for a way out. Even Jasper couldn't calm her down.

I looked back at Bella and motioned with my head that she should try to talk to her, as it seemed a human-to-human confrontation may be best. Bella gave the back-pack to Edward and slowly walked forward to where the flustered girl stood.

Beth was about the same height as Bella, so she was able to look her in the eye when she stopped two steps back.

"Who will find you, Beth?" Her voice sounded like a voice one used with a frightened animal, which seemed accurate.

"He's gonna' find me. He's gonna' find me…" she looked at the floor as she mumbled this over and over.

Carlisle took control of the situation, "He's not going to find you here. You're safe here. I promise." She looked up at him with eyes that seemed to plead for that to be true. "I promise."

She nodded and Bella led her over to sit on the sofa and sat next to her with an arm around her shoulders. Carlisle sat on the other side while asking,

" Now, can you tell us where you're from?"

"San Francisco."

"Do you know who is following you?"

"Gregory Arnez, this guy I knew from school. He got it into his head that we were dating and started leaving messages on my phone that he loved how peaceful I looked when I slept. He was starting to freak me out, so I got a restraining order and he just kept calling and saying that a piece of paper wouldn't stop him if he wanted to be with me. When I reported him to the police, the messages turned into threats that he was going to hurt me if I didn't stop talking to the police" Tears fell soundly down her cheeks as she tried to hide them. She took a deep breath and drew herself to full height in a sitting position while talking to the floor in a small voice.

"Then he started to follow through with the threats." She spoke after she was composed a bit more. "He came to the home with a knife and tried to stab me in my sleep. The police got him in juvenile hall. He stayed there for all of two weeks before he broke out. That's when I decided I needed to run away to keep the other kids safe. That was six months ago."

"You've been running for six months?" Disbelief colored Emmett's voice as he blurted out the question.

She smiled a little at tone in his voice, "What? Find it hard to believe that a girl like me could keep it up for that long without asking for help?" the question made Emmett― EMMETT ― blink as he looked at the slight girl who had responded to his rhetorical question with as much sarcasm as one of us would. It was actually kind of funny.

"No, well it hasn't been six straight months. If I lost him for a bit I would swerve farther west or north depending on where I was and live for about three days without a sign of him. At one point I was completely free of him for a whole month," the look on her face as she closed her eyes was one of pure bliss as she seemed to recall that month. Then her eyes snapped open and she continued.

"But he always finds me. I can't figure out how though. I never leave a paper trail or any trace that I stopped somewhere." She talked to her hands or feet the entire time.

Then she seemed to think about something we said. She turned to Carlisle, "Why did you say I was safe here? That he wouldn't find me?"

"Well, because he won't." Carlisle answered simply.

"Can I trust you? All of you?" She looked around at all of us for a confirmation. We all replied with a nod or quite 'of course'. Not surprisingly, she turned to Bella for a final confirmation.

"You can trust them." With that, she threw her arms around Bella's neck and sobbed into her shoulder.


	5. AN: NOT A CHAPTERSORRY

WOW

**WOW!! **Some of you might think I'm a total loser for being this excited, but I got four reviews, all of them positive. I'm feeling pretty good right now, so I will do my best to update! I swear I will! But If you have any ideas for what could happen in the next chapters, I will take all of them into consideration, and if they're good I might use them.

Now I will bore you with some useless info bout the story background: I didn't even mean to follow through with the idea I had or it when I started. Then I thought 'Huh, maybe I'll get a account just to get it out of my head'. (U see, I had it floating around up there for a month before it got on paper.)

I thought that someone might like it. It was just for fun. I see how wrong I was, so I will continue to write like mad for you story gluttons (for we are all the same).

**Writer's block is a jerk!**

**Updates are coming!**

**ur best nightmare322**


	6. Chapter 5

I needed some down time coughonlygotcoughcoughtenhourscough

I needed some down time coughonlygotcoughcoughtenhourscough. But now I'm back… psst… this is the part where you go 'yay'…no…well find then…that's fine…oh and btw…this is a disclaimer…so…I OWN NOTHING!

Oh, FYI: the Quiluetes/treaty don't exist in this story, Rosalie is very nice, and it is **before** New Moon

Chapter 5

(Esme POV)

"_You can trust them." With that, she threw her arms around Bella's neck and sobbed into her shoulder._

Beth calmed down after she cried her fill when she finished her explanations. When she composed her face she looked up at Carlisle and asked, "Do you know a hotel where I can get a room for cheap?"

This made me gasp. Why could she not believe that somebody wanted to take care of her? I walked over to kneel in front of her. I took one of her hands in mine and looked her in the eye when I asked, "No, there aren't any hotels, but you are completely welcome to stay here for as long as you need." The disbelief in her eyes was heart wrenching.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden. And I don't want to put you in danger because of me."

I heard Emmett snort, then mumble, "As if that were possible."

Beth turned to look at him with a look of confusion and slight suspicion and asked, "What did you say?"

"Me? I didn't say anything. It much have been the wind you heard." Emmett covered up his comment.

Forks weather, true to form, had begun to pour down buckets of rain and wind.

"Oh." The suspicion was still in the under lying tone.

"Why don't we get you settled into the guest room? It's late and we all need our rest." Carlisle took control so we could talk after she was asleep. He looked at me to show her the guest room.

She looked up at me and gave a small smile and I smiled back at her before saying, "Come on dear, I'll show you your room."

I stood and waited for Edward to give her back her bag, then led her up the stairs to the room next to mine and Carlisle's.

"Now my room is just to the right, so if you need anything, feel free to knock." She looked in at the room that Alice had designed for any possible company, human or vampire. The queen size bed was made up in powder-blue cotton sheets and a dark blue duvet that contrasted the light brown walls. It had a large window in the wall to the left of the bed that had a spectacular view of the forest, which was blocked by rain now, but lit up at sunset. She walked in and seemed to be completely captivated by room complete with a matching dresser and nightstand. As she set her bag down on the bed, she looked back at me and voiced her thoughts.

"Well this is better than any hotel room I could've gotten. Are you sure that I won't be a bother to you guys?" Her questioning tone showed that she didn't want to cause even a complete stranger any trouble or discomfort.

"You are going to be our guest for as long as you need. And you will get the rest you clearly need." She maintained eye contact with me for much longer than most humans would feel comfortable with. "Now you get some sleep. We will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Beth."

"G'night, Mrs. Cullen."

I laughed under my breath as I closed the door. I'd never really had anybody call me _Mrs. Cullen. _People usually called me by my first name. Clearly she had very good manners.

When I got back downstairs, Bella and Alice were on the phone with Charlie, asking him if Bella could have permission to stay the night. More like Alice telling him that Bella was staying the night. Poor Charlie. My Carlisle was sitting on the couch, clearly thinking over Beth's story, trying to find way to help. Edward was trying to talk Emmett out of playing a 'harmless' prank on her to get her to open up some more.

"But why not?"

"Well first of all, she's scared and on the run from a stalker who's trying to kill her―"

"All the more reason to get her to laugh."

"―And second of all, I don't think that a bucket of water over her door would help her already shaky trust in us."

"Ah, Edward you know I am way beyond those old school house pranks. You give my creativity no credit. And you seem to forget the prank I pulled on you when we were in Canada." We have all come to slightly fear the smile creeping onto Emmett's face.

"I don't know, which one?" Edward's eyes rolled at the memory of the numerous pranks Emmett pulled on him.

"I need some help with her story Edward. She said 'he came to the home,' not, 'he came to my house.' Do you know what she was thinking about?" Carlisle called him over.

"No, she was just thinking about getting the story straight and not bursting into tears. She seemed to want to keep from saying something that she really didn't want us to know." Edward reviewed her thoughts as he pulled Bella down to sit next to him on the couch.

"Well the 'home' could've been an orphanage," Rosalie suggested. "Will we get a chance to find out, Alice?"

Alice chimed in with her input. "She will still be here in the morning. She was thinking about climbing out the window after you left the room, Esme, but she decided to stay with us for a bit. I don't see that guy she talked about coming." She waited for Jasper to sit down so she could sit in his lap.

"Are we going to ask her more about it tomorrow or let her catch her breath?" Bella asked from Edwards lap. "It seems like she would want to get away from it now."

"And that she will. We are going to have her stay here as long as she wants to." I stated in a voice that they had learned not to contradict.

"Or until that bastard who's following her is gone." We all looked at Emmett as he took on a protective stance behind the couch. Confusion crossed his features, "What? I just think that we should do the world a favor and squish the little bug if he comes along." He kept getting incredulous looks. "And besides, were any of you really going to let her leave with that guy still out there?" Okay, he had a point there.

"We will worry about that problem when we get to it." Jasper said as he brought Emmett down from his high.

Now that it was silent, I could make out the surprisingly quite sound of a pencil scratching across paper coming from upstairs.


	7. Chapter 6

Sorry for the mix up

Sorry for the mix up. This is defiantly the chapter where you find out what is in the box. I know I kind of threw you when I said that before, but now I'm serious. (I would not blame any of you if you tried to strangle me… over the internet… I might laugh… but only if you didn't succeed… rrriiiiiiiiight…**DISCLAIMER!**

**PS: please vote on the poll on my account.**

Chapter 6

(Beth POV)

"_G'night, Mrs. Cullen."_

After she closed the door, I went over to the window and calculated how long it was to the ground. If I jumped, I risk the chance of breaking a leg or arm. If I tried to climb down, they might hear me, and there were that many foot holds.

_Wait, why am I trying to break out?!_

I jumped back form the window like it shocked me. The least I could do for these people was stay a while and catch my breath. I walked over to the bed and picked up my bag. I dug through all of my stuff until I got to the box. I opened it to the main compartment and looked in on my most priced and valuable possessions. My wallet that held more than 10,000 and my various fake IDs; the 3x5 note book that served as a diary, though at the moment the only entries were from when I a month of solace. I would have to write some more while I'm here; and the to the laminated pictures, one of them of my parents, my big bother and me when I was four years old. Tears welled up in my eyes when I looked at the picture and thought back to when was taken.

_FLASHBACK_

_It was right after Christmas and my mom and dad wanted to get new pictures of the family. They put James in charge of getting me dressed in nice, but comfortable clothes, so I wouldn't feel compelled to take them off._

"_Jamie, why do we have to do dis evrwy year?" I pouted._

"_I told you before Jilly-bean, Mom and Dad want to do this every year so they can see how we all change in the course of a year. Now put your arm through here. Good girl. Now, are you going to take of the skirt if I put you in it?"_

"_Yeth." I giggled as he asked._

"_Okay, will you take off the shorts?"_

"_No," I answered in a serious voice._

"_Will you take off the shiny, dress shoes?"_

"_Yeth."_

"_Do you want to wear you new play shoes or your flip-flops?"_

"_Flip-flops. The new ones are too pink." Another pout._

"_Oh, are they? Now why don't you like pink?"_

"_It's too girly."_

"_Well I think pink is a fine color. And, aren't you a girl?"_

"_Yeah, but you're a boy. You don't have people trying to put you in pink clothes."_

"_Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad to stop buying you pink?"_

"_Yeth."_

"_Okay, then. We need to get going."_

_When we got to the picture place, James wanted to do some with me on his shoulders. Then we did the whole family picture with me sitting on my mom's lap and Dad and James behind the chair. James' hand was on my shoulder rather than my mom's. Then we drove home and I took my nap after playing with James._

_FLASHBACK__END_

I put everything back in box and closed the lid. I dug through one of the hidden compartments of my back-pack and pulled out my recently acquired MP3 and headphones. I turned on some of the only music I had on it, a band called Evanescence. I just loved how it could be so morbid yet uplifting at the same time.

I took out one of my sketchbooks and started to lose my self in my 'art' as some would call it. I called it escape. My latest drawings were of cartoon-like faces that always had a sad or blank expression. I never knew if that was because of my mood or because I couldn't draw a smiling mouth. The face I was drawing now looked a little bit like the faerie girl― Alice, I think― and had bright red eyes. The red was the only color on the page because I usually just used pencil. It seemed very ominous but for the expression on the faerie's face, which distant and soft, like she was looking at something far away. I finished the face and worked on the hair some more. It was long and flowy down the faerie's back. Then I added some leaves ad forest-type debris into the hair and around the face.

I saw that one would be overworked if I added anything else. So I started a new one.

This time it was an angel that looked like Bella. It had long brown hair that came to its elbow and had a slight wave to it. I never really got the whole angels in robes that covered neck to toe. So this angel was wearing a black t-shirt with a neon blue winged heart in the bottom right corner, white jeans, and old tennis shoes. The only indication that it was an angel were the wings that were stretched out halfway and angled forward and the crooked halo that was above the head. Her head was turned slightly to look at one of the long wings and her face showed a look of longing.

I finished coloring the angel with colored pencils and closed the sketchbook. I changed into the only sleeping apparel I had― red shorts and a oversized t-shirt― and put everything back in my bag except for the box and laid it by the bed. I opened it and took out a picture of me and James. Then I closed the lid and placed the box on top of my bag. I gazed at the picture and held it tightly to my chest. I managed one last thought before I cried myself to sleep.

_I miss you, Jamie…_


	8. Chapter 7

hi, um sorry that I haven't updated like at all

hi, um sorry that I haven't updated like at all. I would like to blame it on writer's block, but I'll admit that I was just being lazy. Right now is the time that I will allow you to come after me with pitchforks and death threats… no? oh yeah you can't b/c you know not where I live… I'll give you a small hint so that if you do feel like coming after me, you can…ready for it?... I… live… on… earth. Bet ya didn't know that didja'?

Oh, and I own none of this, it all belongs to the wonderful, brilliant Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 7

(Edward POV(again))

_I miss you, Jamie…_

Bella and I were lounging on my black sofa in my room after our little 'family meeting' downstairs. I held her in my arms, trying to convince her to get some sleep. When I heard the small, almost pitiful thought drift into my mind from Beth's room. My ears perked up, thinking that there would be more to add to that thought. Bella noticed this and looked up at me, a questioning gleam in her eyes.

"Whose thoughts? Beth's?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes. Just one last thought before going to sleep…" I waited to see I if she would ask what it was.

She waited, expecting me to continue. "Well? What was it?" Like clockwork.

"Most of the thoughts before it were slurred and unfocused because she was tired, but the last one was 'I miss you, Jamie'. I gathered from her thoughts that Jamie is or was her brother." I knew the next question even thought I couldn't read Bella's mind

"Or was?" she asked with a fearful and saddened ring in her voice.

"Her thought's were very scattered and rushed, but by the way she reacted when she thought of him, I can't figure out if he's no longer with us or just not with her for some reason. But it is really tearing her apart." Bella had been looking at me with a look of extreme grief and sympathy. So I decided to move to a lighter topic that was still about Beth. "Do you want to know what she was thinking about earlier?"

She nodded for want of a more light hearted topic.

"She was drawing in one of those sketchbooks we found in her back-pack. It was actually kind of funny listening to her think about what others would of her art and then what she thought, which was more critiquing than appreciating it. I'm kind of regretting not opening it now, because what she drawing was REALLY good."

"Really? What was she drawing?" Curiosity got the better of her as she asked.

"Well…" I contemplated what I was going to tell her. "She first drew a fairy-like girl that admittedly― and these were her thoughts, not mine― looked like Alice. Which is funny because most everyone thinks of her as pixie- or fairy-like, but I've never seen anyone depict her as an actual fairy."

Bella giggled, undoubtedly picturing it in her head.

"And she drew something else that I can't help but agree with." I smiled down at my Bella as I continued. "An angel that looked like you."

She looked up at me in shock. "I would have thought that an angel would have been depicted as you. Do you know why she chose me?"

"She didn't choose you, or Alice for that matter, she was just drawing whatever came into her head. Maybe she drew you as the angel because she feels most comfortable with you. And I wouldn't know if there was anything else that came into her head anyway because she was listening to music and her thoughts would sing along with the music at times."

"Oh. So what are we going to do with her while she's here?" she inquired.

"None of us have really thought of that in too much depth. Emmett was thinking that we get rid of the guy stalking her, then let her choose if she wants to stay or leave, but I think he would like it if she stayed because, even now, he's thinking in a protective big brother kind of way. Carlisle wants to get her back into good health and if we can do anything about it, help her deal with the psycho who's after her by either handing him over to the police or something bit more drastic.

"Esme wants to make her feel like she is welcome to anything she needs here, which the poor girl doesn't know how to respond to that and it's making her feel a bit uncomfortable. I have no idea what Rose is thinking though, I think she's still getting used to the idea that we just took in a stranger. And right now I'm feeling sorry for Jasper because he's having to deal with conflicting emotions in her. Alice is slightly frightening me because she keeps translating the Edict of Milan into Portuguese." **(A/N: for those of you who don't know, that was a letter that proclaimed tolerance of religion in the Roman Empire, signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius. Learned about it in religion class two years ago.)**

"Well, I think that the first ting **I **need to do is tell Charlie that I'm going to be here more than usual. I feel like I need to be near her just in case of something…" she seemed to think of something, then looked at me with an apologetic look, "not that it would be bad if she were to stay with you guys, but I don't know, it seems like I'm going to be around her a lot from how she kind of picked me out as someone to trust…"

She rambled for a good three minutes before she turned back to look at me.

"And what are you thinking and feeling about this?" The inquiry caught me a bit off guard.

"It's times like these when it just kills me that I can't read your mind."

The smile I was rewarded clearly sowed that she was unintentionally the only bock in my power.

"I'm just a little confused because her thoughts jump around very fast. When she starts to think about one thing, it connects to something else and then she starts to think about that. It's very hard to follow, even for me. And her logic of what the connections are wouldn't really make sense to a lot of people. She kept going back after about five or six connections to try and figure out how she got to that thought train. If she didn't keep doing that, I would have been completely and utterly lost. It's really fascinating how she clicked everything together, and how quickly she did it as well." Bella was looking amused at my confession. "What?" I asked as I lightly tickled her sides.

"It's just that I confuse you because you can't read my mind while her mind you can read and are completely lost anyway."

"Well, regardless of who fascinates me more, you need to sleep." I began to hum her lullaby as she settled against my chest and her breathing leveled. Then I really thought about it… _What ARE we going to do with her while she's here?_


	9. Chapter 8

I know I haven't updated in a long time, so please don't throw rotten fruit

I know I haven't updated in a long time, so please don't throw rotten fruit. But I am updating now for your sanity as well as my own. Please bear with me for the next few updates b/c I'm getting ready to start high school. (EEP!) the chapters may be influenced by what I have been doing, so if that starts to annoy you just tell me and I will stop it. Anything I forgot from my list? Oh yeah write a disclaimer, worship Stephenie Meyer, and fight off evil Japanese beetles. Now, onto the chapter!

Chapter 8

(Alice POV)

It was really fun keeping my plans from Edward. He looks so funny when he gets mad that I translate things in my head. Anyway, I decided to welcome our guest the next day. I was in the kitchen fixing her an omelet with bacon and hash browns (did you know that the food channel runs a midnight show?) when I heard her waking up and headed up to her room. I heard her breathing break as she no doubt remembered where she was and how she got here. I waited for her to sit up in bed and then I knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in." her voice was still groggy and rough from sleep. When I opened the door, she was sitting against the head board and running her hands over her eyes trying to rub out the sleep. "Hi, um, Alice, right?"

"Yep." she looked a little bit like the children at our high school when they caught by the teachers doing something they shouldn't be doing, ex; kissing, holding hands, etc.

"I don't want to sound rude, but what are you doing in here?" I rolled my eyes and took in her attire. An over sized T-shirt and the tip of red shorts showing from under the blankets. I then noticed a small picture in front of her. I only saw a young girl with light brown hair before Beth subtly hid it by rearranging the sheet over it.

"I just wanted ask if you had a good night's sleep. And, if you're feeling up to it, whether or not you would like some breakfast." I walked into the room and sat down at the foot of the bed as I asked. "Carlisle wants you to eat something anyway and it's my job to make sure that you do. You look like you haven't eaten a decent meal in weeks."

"I've gotten used to not eating a lot seeing as I can't afford it. And some breakfast sounds good, thanks." She smiled at me as she seemed to get more comfortable talking with me. I might as well just get to the point.

"I can tell that getting used to being here will take a while, but this house is going to be yours too as long as you're here, so you don't need to feel uncomfortable around us while you're with us. You can still trust us."

She looked a little amused at my little outburst. She nodded when she said, "I'll work on that."

Okay, now I was starting to get a bit uncomfortable just sitting there, so I dismissed myself.

"I can see that you need to dress, so I'll leave you to you're lonesome. Come downstairs when you're ready." With that I left and walked down to the kitchen to find my family all in the living room, acting the part of a family that just ate breakfast― which some of them did during the night― and were watching TV.

(Beth's POV)

As I got out of the bed I thought about what Alice had said while she was in here. I had no reason not to believe that she meant what she said. I trusted her a lot more than I should have and that was bugging me. I kept letting my guard down.

I put away my picture into the box and closed it before getting out my clothes and dressing. I needed to buy a new shirt, this one was worn and not even remotely clean. I put on my jeans and jacket― it was chilly in the house― and ran my brush through my hair a few times and then pulled it into its customary ponytail. After looking at my reflection for a minute I took my hair out of the ponytail, letting it hang loosely around my face. I contemplated my reflection, noting that my hair was very wavy and could look very nice if it was washed. Then I headed out the door and down the stairs.

(Alice POV)

I was standing in front of the dinning room table set for two― the two humans― watching Bella eat.

"I still don't get how you can eat that. It doesn't look very appetizing."

"Don't try to change the subject. Answer my question. What are you planning to do? Edward can't figure it out so it isn't something good." Bella kept looking at me, waiting to get what she wanted.

"Of course it's something good!" I answered indigently. "I keep only my best plans from Edward so they can be a surprise."

We all heard Beth coming down the stairs after she got dressed. As she walked down, they resumed talking in low voices so that she wouldn't feel awkward when she got to the bottom.

"Morning." Was the quite greeting she let out before shuffling over to the table and sitting down at the place mat next to Bella.

I studied her for a moment before sitting on the other side of her. When I sat down, she looked up through the curtain of hair around her face and granted me with a small smile.

As she began to eat, I looked around her to Bella, giving her a slight nod toward Beth.

"Your hair looks really nice down." Bella told her in a big-sister type of way.

"Thank you. I need to wash it, though," she said with an annoyed tone in her voice.

"OK, then, when you finish eating, you can go up to my bathroom and take a shower. There are extra towels and shampoo and conditioner and toothbrushes and toothpaste in there if you need it, too." I watched her as she came out from behind the curtain of hair and looked at me with eyes filled with slight embarrassment.

"Really? I would really like to get clean."

"Yes, really. I'm angry with myself that I didn't offer it last night. Besides, you should probably wash up if you're coming with Bella and me later."

Bella leaned over to look at me suspiciously, asking, "And what, pray tell, are we doing later?"

"I'm shocked that you didn't think of it sooner, Bella. We are going to go shopping!"

**Next chapy is the shopping trip!**

**I am putting something from my life it, so be on the look out! Whoever figures it out gets nothing but the satisfaction of being able to identify something that has happened in my pitiful little life. **

**Oh, and the review button told me that no one was talking to it, so be nice and click the button down there because it's lonely.**


	10. Chapter 9

I'm bbaAAacckkk

I'm bbaAAacckkk! Please don't shoot me. I just started advanced classes in high school and am already swamped. Disclaimer, disclaimer and on with the witting of the chapter and such.

Chapter 9

(Bella POV)

"_I'm shocked that you didn't think of it sooner, Bella. We are going to go shopping!"_

I'm sure the way I looked at Alice must have made it seem like she grew a second head, but I couldn't help it. Once I regained control of my jaw muscles, I closed my mouth and looked over at Beth. If the look on my face was shock, then the look on hers was fairly unreadable. She just kind of stared at Alice like she hadn't heard what she said.

Alice, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes at me and started talking at me.

"Come on, Bella. I never see why you feel the need to do that every time I decide to take you shopping with me." She looked over to Beth and the look on her face softened. "Do you not want to go shopping with me? It's fine if you don't."

"Why is it that I never get that choice?" I mumbled under my breath just before Beth answered.

"I'm sorry, I guess I haven't talked to a normal person in a while. Um… sure, I'll go shopping with you." The sound of her voice made it seem like she would go shopping just to keep from possibly hurting Alice's feelings. That's how I usually got guilted into going shopping with Alice, too.

"Okay. Well, you can finish eating, then go upstairs and get ready to leave for the mall."

"Okay. Um… why are we going to the mall?" she looked a little scared. That was more like it.

"Because I know that you cannot possibly have more than one shirt in that small back pack of yours, so we are going to buy you some new clothes." The note of finality in her voice was a little bit sweet, a little bit creepy.

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After that little morning announcement, we were seated in Alice's recently bought yellow Porch 911 headed to the nearest major mall― in Seattle.

When we got there, Alice mad a bee line for one of her favorite stores, which had a variety of styles of clothing. Once we were inside, Alice stopped and looked Beth up and down as if she were measuring her for the clothes. Beth just kept looking around like she was taking in the ways to the exits.

"Okay, first we are going to get you some shirts and at least two jackets because your jean one is just too bulky. I looks like you're drowning in it. I'm guessing you size is about a ten or eleven. So follow me, and start looking." She spoke in such a rush that I had a hard time understanding what she said, and I've been listening to those 'two second vampire conversations' for about a year now.

"Okay, but I don't want you spending a lot of money on me. I'm only letting you do this because you think I need some new clothes. You won't be getting me into a whole bunch of designer clothes and trendy stuff. I'm letting you know right now that if it isn't comfortable, I'm not getting it."

Alice just stood there looking at Beth like she hadn't heard a thing that she had just said. Beth got a worried look on her face and stare back at Alice. Just when Beth looked at me to ask if something was wrong with Alice, I saw her eyes glaze over, which told me that she was having a vision. As Beth asked me if she was, I looked over to see if the vampire had come out of it yet.

"Oh no, she just has these little episodes where she stares off into space. She'll be fine in a minute." Just then, Alice shook her head and looked from me to Beth.

"Oh, I can tell I'm really going to have to work on you. But don't worry, you won't mind too much when we're done And, just in case your wondering, the only things that I would get you would be comfortable, but fashionable, clothes."

We were in for a long day…

As we walked out of the fourth store that Alice had led us into, we amazingly only had three bags.

"I just don't get why you wouldn't try on any of the clothes that I picked out for you. They would have been perfectly comfortable." Alice commented.

"I'm sorry, but did you even see the price tag?! No way you were going to buy that for me. And I know that you keep saying that money is no problem for you, but it is for me. Could we just leave now, please? I have gotten shoes, jeans, two shirts, and a jacket, just like you said that I needed, so can we please just leave? I know I'm whining way too much, more than is tolerable for a houseguest, but incase you haven't noticed, I don't like shopping. Ugh, migraine." She finished by taking a breath and rubbing her temple with two fingers. It was almost like looking in a mirror from one of my first shopping trips with Alice, except I never had the guts to talk back to Alice in the way that Beth was.

Alice looked a little disappointed that she couldn't just use her vampire speed and strength to force the young girl into the clothes the way that she sometimes did with me.

"Fine then, we can leave. But don't think that I'm not going to break you down eventually," Alice used her 'I-might-be-tiny-but-don't-think-I-won't-kick-your-ass-if-you-piss-me-off' voice, but sugar coated. Beth looked a bit frightened after this comment.

Alice's mouth started to turn up at the corners at bit as she watched Beth. We were headed toward the exit we came in through when I saw Beth's eyes go wide and brighten up. Alice looked over at me and followed the direction of her gaze. The younger girl started to veer toward the store to the right of us, then shook her self and looked back at us.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Can we go in for just like two minutes, please? I promise no more whining." Her hands laced together in front of her neck and her outer lip jutted out a little bit at the same time that her eyes turned to puppy dog eyes. It seemed that even Alice couldn't resist.

"What? The bookstore? Sure, yeah. You've put up with me for a while, so I'll give you some time in the bookstore." Just as she finished saying this, she blinked and looked over at me like she was a little shocked at what she just said. 'What?' I mouthed at her. She turned to me and whispered in my ear,

"It's the least I could do. Besides, this girl has got some guts. Even you aren't persuasive enough to whine enough to break me from shopping. And, this will help us get a closer look into what makes her tick. You said Edward had trouble following along with her thoughts? So let's do a little bit of recon for him." With that, she followed Beth into he bookstore.


	11. AN: still not a chapter

**A/N- **

**Please don't kill me!!!!**

I'm so sorry with how freakin' slow I am being with getting out the new chapter. I'm almost done, I promise. I'm just having a lot of trouble with finding a name for a new character. How frustrating!!!!!!!!!! So, if you have any suggestions, I will gladly take any that I can get. Just push the review button down there and leave a message, pleeeease.

Thanks for reading.

urbestnightmare

**A/N-**


	12. Chapter 10

I know it's been a long time since I wrote, but a road trip is the perfect time to write. So all of the books mentioned in this chapter are real, but are disclaimed by me, all credit goes to their wonderful authors.

Chapter 10

(Beth POV)

As I walked into the bookstore, I nearly forgot all about Bella and Alice, who were walking right behind me. I looked around for my favorite sections until I found one. As I walked toward it, I recalled my previous 'system' for going through the shelves. First, young adult section, then fiction, science fiction, thrillers, and mystery. The young adult section was where I used to find most of my favorite books. Two of the books that I found now looked pretty good: Abarat by Clive Barker and Savoy by Celia Rees. In the thriller section I found one of my favorite authors, Robert Liparulo. In mystery was one of my other favorite authors, Iris Johansson. **(A/N: if you ever get the chance, read some or all of these books and authors.)** Just as I stated to ease into a relaxed stupor, I heard someone coming up close behind me. I felt my back stiffen as the footsteps stopped.

"Hi, are you looking for anything in particular," asked a woman that looked like she was about sixty but hadn't figured it out yet; in other words, she was wearing a skirt two sizes too small and a tank top. Great, one of the overfriendly staff of the book store. Why can't they just let people browse in peace?

"No, just looking for one that seems good." Dammit! Never say that to a lady looking for conversation.

"Oh, well if your looking for the new releases, they're right over there," left, "but I can help you find something according to your preferences with our new, state of the art Book Match." Oh joy, a woman who doesn't know how to use a cell phone, much less a "state of the art "Book Match."

"Oh, no that's okay. I'm just browsing." Thankfully, she just nods and walks away. As I turn back to the shelf, I see Alice and Bella walking toward me.

"Hey, Beth if you want to spend some more time here, we'll be over by the coffee shop," Bella said, pointing to the adjoining Starbucks.

"I'll just be a little bit longer, I promise."

It looked like Bella was going to say something more, but Alice interrupted.

"It's fine. Take as long as you want. Well, Bella let's go." Alice seemed to be in a hurry to get away from where we were standing. That's weird. Oh well, back to browsing.

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About ten minutes after the little Alice episode, I saw a pair of feet walk up and stop beside the isle I was in. I didn't think anything of it until they started to take a step toward me. Just as I decided to ignore them, a voice asked,

"Hi, you might think I'm just some crazy, but I saw you sitting here and just had to come talk to you."

The voice sounded like a boy's around my age. I looked up to see the most captivating sapphire-blue-mixed-with-emerald-green eyes that I had ever seen. So captivating, that I completely forgot the snarky comment that was about to squeeze its way past my lips. Now I kind of forgot how to speak. But as I turned my face up to see his, I think I saw him take in a small gasp. Eh, just my imagination. As I sat there gaping for air like a beached fish, the boy spoke again.

"Soooo, are you new around here? I come here a lot and I don't think I've ever seen you before," he seemed to be coming to the conclusion that I was Special-Ed. As he spoke, I took in the rest of him. He had creamy skin that sported a very, very light tan and he stood about three inches taller than me with light brown hair that stopped right above his eyes. Dressed in faded jeans, a black leather jacket that was unzipped to show a white shirt, and a red and black stripped scarf draped over his shoulders, he looked like he was about my age. So I decided that now might be a good time to find my lips.

"Yeah, sorry. Yes, I'm new around here. Actually, not here, as in Seattle, I guess here as in Washington. You say you come here a lot?" Nice. Very smooth. Now when he walks away, let's go find a rock to die under.

"Yeah. It's a really good place to just relax and lose yourself in a good book, you know. I thought that you might think that as well," he lowered is voice and leaned a little closer as he continued, "seeing as you haven't even noticed that half the teenage boys in the store keep staring at you." I gave him a confused look before I lifted my head to look around above the low shelves surrounding me, and noticed to my dismay that there were in fact about seven teenage boys staring at me. They were in varying sections: anime, literature, fiction, science fiction, business, etc.. Great, just what I need. As I looked out at them, four of them looked away or decided that their book had suddenly become very interesting. The other three, I had to stare down because they thought that they had the right to ogle all they wanted. The last one, however, only looked away when I started to take a step toward him. My cheeks were inflamed with color as I looked back at my companion.

"Thanks. That was a new experience for me." My cheeks just didn't seem to know what 'cool it' meant.

"Really? I find that surprising." He looked at me as if e doubted what I had said.

"Well, I find it surprising that you find that surprising. You want to tell me your name so I can thank you properly?" WOW. Where did that come from?

"My name's, Josef," in noticed that he ended the name with a very soft "f", almost like a "v". "And I'm still surprised that that has never happened to you. Actually, the look you gave them was rather amusing. Frightening, but amusing." He gave a little chuckle.

"Glad I was so entertaining. Well, thanks for telling me with the staring people, usually I'm really focused on my surroundings, so it really took me by surprise," stop with the rambling! "So thanks for saving me from that ordeal, Josef. Um, by the way, not to sound rude or anything, but why did you come over here in the first place? You said you 'just had to come talk to me?'" Okay, well that was nice, now let's go find that rock.

"Actually, as I said before, you might think that I'm crazy. I just wanted to come over and introduce myself because I like to know all the people in here." Wow, I think he's rambling a little bit. "So, I'm Josef, and welcome to Seattle." He spread his arms out like he could show me the whole city in one sweeping view and gave a smile that could melt the ice caps. I gave a low chuckle and answered back,

"Thanks. I'm Beth, and I think that this is my favorite view so far," I said looking around at the shelves of books.

"Well, there's another reason I came over. I just had to see what had you so engrossed in so as not to see your admirers." He cracked a small smile with this and I couldn't help but give a reluctant smile back.

"Well, I was just looking at one of Robert Liparulo's new series." I showed him the cover and he looked at it with mild interest. "It sounds really good, if you're into that kind of thing."

"I'm sure a lot of people are. So, do you live around here? In Seattle, I mean."

I searched for a little lie to tell and found none. "No, not really," I mumbled very quickly.

Just as I was sure I was about to be submitted to a string of questions, Alice bounced up to me with Bella by her side.

"Are you ready to go Beth? Sorry, I know you wanted to stay longer, but it's getting kind of late." She was looking very quickly between me and Josef.

"It's okay, Alice, sorry I kept you guys waiting. Yeah, I'm ready to go." I started to take a step toward the exit when Alice gave me a very distinct look saying, 'please introduce us to this boy you're with.'

"Sorry, um Josef, this is Bella and Alice. Bella and Alice, this is Josef. He just wanted to welcome me to Seattle." I turned to plead Bella with my eyes if we could go.

"Hi," Bella said, looking at Josef, "sorry, but we've got to be going. Nice to meet you."

Alice looked at him and cocked her head to the side a little like a puppy listening to crickets. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Josef. Bye." With that she turned to leave with us.

I looked over my shoulder to see that he was looking at a cell phone. As he lifted it to his ear, he caught my eye and quickly glanced around at the store and started to shake with laughter. I looked to see what he was laughing at and saw to my dismay that my "admirers" were watching me leave the store with Alice and Bella.

As I turned to glance at the boy who saved me from my "admirers" one last time, I heard him say into his cell phone what sounded something like "I was just a… shining armor for a… girl."


	13. AN:yet another one

**-AN-**

I've come to make amends.

Sorry about the name things. I had already written the whole chapter, I just needed a name for the guy in the bookstore and then right after I posted the AN, I thought of a name for him. Though I promise to the people who gave suggestions, those names will be put into the story eventually, maybe not right away, but they will get in there.

And the names at the end were the names that I thought might have worked for the guy in the bookstore and I forgot to erase them before posting. Again sorry if that confused you all.

-Urbestnightmare

**-AN-**


	14. Chapter 11

OMC, um I just realized that the guy in the bookstore's name is Josef and the girl's name is Beth. If any of you are familiar with the 1 season show "Moonlight", I'm not trying to make a pairing from the show, I wasn't even thinking about that and just realized what I have done. Sorry if it bugs any body, but it's too late to change it now. Remember how Beth her name was Jill when she first met the Cullen coven? Maybe I could have Beth alter her name a little. I'll let you guys know in a few chapters. So I disclaim twilight, it not mine. A little more history on Beth in the next chapter, I promise. Oh yeah, disclaimer. Nothing mine.

Chapter 11

(Josef POV)

After Beth and her friends turned to leave, I decide that I really needed to call Colby, my confidant and annoyance. I started to dial when I looked up to see her looking back at me, so I looked to view her fan club as their faces showed disappointment that she was leaving. As I waited for Colby to pick up, some of the fan club members turned to glare at me for being the only one brave enough to talk to the object of their attention. Thankfully, the dough head decided to pick up his phone for once.

"What the hell do you want Joey?" Charming as ever and using his favorite/my least favorite nickname as his greeting.

"I was just a knight in shining armor for a beautiful girl. And no, I did not just hit my head, if that's your next question."

"No, I was just going to ask how long ago you woke up from your prescription induced nap."

"I'm serious, dude. And, get this, I was in a bookstore when I met her, and she wasn't some weird geeky girl."

"Wow. Well, now you won't shut up, so just finish your story while I call to reserve your place in the loony bin."

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(Alice POV)

After we left Beth to be alone, Bella turned to me to ask what I had seen.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Bella."

"Yeah, right. I know you had a vision, so just tell me what it was." She tried giving me a stern look which just turned pleading as I smiled at her.

"I'm not going to tell you because you're going to see in a moment."

After a few minutes I saw the boy from my vision start to walk over. Apparently, Bella saw him too, because she shook my arm and asked if this was what I had seen.

"Yes. Now shush." The boy said something and Beth seemed to be assessing him as he spoke. And from the way she acted in the stores, my guess is that she was assessing the level of threat he might be. Or she was dumbstruck, seeing as her mouth was slightly open and her eyes a bit wider than before. After she finally responded, he said something else and Beth looked around the store at some other boys looking at her. Beth and the boy talked some more before I saw that she was getting uncomfortable. As soon as I saw this I walked over, bringing Bella by her arm.

"Are you ready to go Beth? Sorry, I know you wanted to stay longer, but it's getting kind of late." I looked between Beth and the boy.

"It's okay, Alice, sorry I kept you guys waiting. Yeah, I'm ready to go." As she started to walk toward the exit, I looked at her intently to get her to introduce the boy that she was talking to.

She looked a little confused, then realization set in, and, flustered, she introduced us. "Sorry, um Josef, this is Bella and Alice. Bella, Alice, this is Josef. He just wanted to welcome me to Seattle."

"Hi," Bella said, looking at Josef, "sorry, but we've got to be going. Nice to meet you."

I cocked my head to the side and studied him before saying, "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Josef. Bye." After which I turned to leave with Bella and Beth.

When Beth looked over her shoulder, I whispered to Bella,

"We'll not bother her about this… too much."

I heard Josef start talking into his cell phone, and what I heard was maybe one of the most adorable things I have heard.

"I was just a knight in shining armor for a beautiful girl," then it was confusing. "And no, I did not just hit my head, if that's your question."

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(Bella POV)

Walking back to the car Beth was quietly saying how she was sorry that she had delayed us from getting home. I knew she was trying to make us forget about her encounter in the bookstore with the opposite sex.

"So, did you see any good books in there? We could have gotten you any that you wanted." Alice was trying to ease her into a conversation.

"Yeah, but I can't be carrying around a bunch of books. If I took all of the books that I read with me everywhere I went then I would need about ten suitcases and that probably wouldn't make for light travel." She watched her feet as she walked, almost as if she couldn't take her eyes off of them.

"Well that didn't answer my question, did it? We told you that you can stay with us as long as you need to," Alice reassured her in a soft voice as we reached the car and slipped inside.

"I don't plan on staying that long, anyway." She said this more to herself than to us. Then hurriedly she added, "no offense! I just can't stay in one place for too long. It's not safe." She looked like she'd had to give this reason many times as an explanation.

"OK, then stay for a week and see if you don't believe us when we say that you're safe." Alice replied with a sly look on her face. Beth didn't say anything to this, but just studied her fingers as they played with the hem of her shirt.

The rest of the ride was driven in silence… until, "So, what did you and you new friend talk about at the bookstore?" I knew Alice wouldn't be able to resist.

"Um… nothing, he just wanted to see what I was reading. And then he completely embarrassed me," she said with a look of slight anger and embarrassment on her face.

(Switching in the middle, but here's (Alice POV))

Bella looked at me then her and inquired, "How and why would he do that?"

"Well, he didn't do it actually, he just pointed out that a whole bunch of boys were staring at me. I can't even imagine why they were staring." Confusion, or was it anger, crossed her features as she mulled over the occurrence. Well it's a good thing that those boys weren't any closer to her, because based on the look she gave them in the store, if they were in swinging range, she would have decked one of them for staring.

I thought of my response carefully before voicing it, deciding to be blunt in my approach, "Well, that should be obvious. You're a gorgeous teenage girl and they are teenage boys with nothing better to do." I continued to look at the road in order to appear more human, then I heard Beth give a chuckle and mutter under her breath, "as if they would really be interested in _me._"

"Why wouldn't they be?"I delved into that reservoir of ways to get a young girl to talk by beginning the girl-talk. "you really are a beautiful girl. How old are you, again?" she hadn't given her age in the first place, but it wouldn't hurt to know.

"I never told you, but you may as well know, I'm fifteen." Okay, time to maybe have Bella start talking to her because I could tell that she was closing up.

"Ah, fifteen, good times. Bella, what are some things you remember about being fifteen?" I looked at her, pleading with my eyes for her to say something encouraging.

"All I really remember about being fifteen is my mom telling me that boys weren't really worth it until sixteen at least." Before she even finished her sentence I could see Beth's face lose its openness and harden into stone in the mirror.

"Beth? What's wrong? Are you okay? Do we need to pull over?" Try to get her to loosen up and relax, first priority. I looked back in the rear view mirror to see if this had any effect. Her face smoothed out into a stretch of smooth planes and her eyes, which moments ago were showing a glimmer of shine, grew cold and empty. This was the face of someone who knew how to hide their feelings, no matter how strong. This was going to be difficult. Bella looked back at her and saw the blank expression, then turned to question me with her eyes.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. Do you mind if a take a rest back here?" Her voice held a guarded tone to it and a sliver of pleading, pleading that we wouldn't ask any further questions.

"Yeah, sure. You go to sleep. We still have about an hours drive." Only if I slowed down to about, say 70mph, which would never happen. I'll started to slow to around 90mph. Just bearable.

I gave Bella a look which told her to wait until we arrived back at the house.

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(Beth POV)

I didn't sleep at all on the way back to their house. Cars make me nervous, too nervous to sleep. You could be alive one second, then BAM. Dead the next. I needed to get moving, it was just too dangerous to be with these people. They would end up getting hurt with me. Although it seemed like they could take care of themselves, I didn't want them to be in the way. As the car pulled into the windy road that led to the house, I stirred from my "nap." I pulled out the three bags, now all shoved into the biggest of them, and walked in behind Alice and Bella.

"How was the shopping?" Esme asked as she held open the front door, standing off to the side. I could tell from her tone that there was more to that question and her eyes looked a little too deeply into Alice's. Bella walked in and entered what I assumed to be the kitchen if I remember from this morning correctly.

"Disappointing. Beth is harder to shop with than Bella is and a lot more stubborn…" I tuned out her description of the day that had exhausted me. I past Esme giving her a courteous smile and walked into the kitchen to see Edward and Emmett cleaning up two plates that looked like they had once had spaghetti on them. Emmett was rinsing off the dishes and lathering them with soap and Edward was washing out a pot with a strainer lid. Bella was speaking with Edward about something having to do with fishing and "Charlie." Emmett looked up as I walked in, a small smile creeping onto his face as he looked back down and washed he soap off of the last dish and put it in the drying rack. He turned to me as he was drying his hands on a dish towel.

"So, how many clothes did Alice force you into? My guess for the least amount is 10 and I won't even guess the highest amount." He said chuckling as if at an inside joke.

"Actually, she only managed to buy me shoes, jeans, two shirts and a jacket. According to everyone else's reactions, I'm guessing that is an odd occurrence with her." I placed my bags on a chair and sat down next to it, looking at the bag with contempt. This was just another tie that would help him find me, and make it easier than ever before. "May I go put this with my things?" I asked Carlisle as he walked in the room.

"Of course. And you don't need to ask permission, like we said, as long as you can be here, you'll have a place to stay." His kind eyes and sincere face made it hard to remember that I can't ever be truly safe. I muttered what was supposed to be a thank you and grabbed the bag as I turned toward the stairs and walked up. I opened the door to find an addition to the room. A low desk with a laptop and a small radio on it stood off to the side against a wall. I shook my head, since clearly these people have not seemed to realize that they are treating a total stranger like an honored guest. But I couldn't help feeling that something was off about them. They all looked way too similar and beautiful, their skin and eyes almost the exact same color. I would have to pay more attention if I were to figure out what it was that was making me feel this way. But that was for another day, now I would need to switch out my back pack's contents for the new clothes Alice had bought me. Once that was done, I would be able to get all of my things together and get going from this place.

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(Alice POV)

When I finished telling Esme about the trip and what I thought about Beth, I had a vision as I was walking toward Jasper as he came to greet me. It was of Beth and she was sitting on the couch crying. Then the vision changed and she was in the backyard of our home smiling and writing in one of the notes books we found in her bag. Another came immediately after of our whole family looking nervous and Beth staring at us. As my vision cleared and Jasper was asking me what I had seen, I told them we were about to find out, and with that, we heard Beth coming down the stairs.


End file.
